People suspected to be land grabbers, popularly known as “Omo onile” in their hundreds invaded Falokun village in Obafemi – Owode Local Government Area of Ogun state, rupturing the peace of the serene villagers with shooting and disruption of activities.
Many were injured, including 34- year- old bricklayer, identified as Abdulahi Olalekan, who was shot in the mouth while working at the site of a property company, Blue Stone Garden located in the village.
The land grabbers who stormed the Falokun village at the weekend were allegedly led by two persons identified as Umar and Bello said to have accused the property company of encroaching on the landed property of their clients.
During the daring raid, they chased the company’s workers away from the site, boasting that they had come to re- claim the land from the company.
Also, it was learnt the attackers, numbering about 159 allegedly carted away three motorcycles belonging to the site workers after shooting Abdulahi and abandoned him in a pool of his blood.
It was further gathered that one person has been arrested in connection with the attack and the suspect is being detained at the Owode Police station in Obafemi – Owode Local Government Area of the state.
And in a petition by the representative of the company, Alexander Waheed and addressed to the state’s Commissioner of Police, Bashir Makama, he urged him to cause an investigation into the matter and bring the perpetrators to justice.
In the petition, Alexander alleged that one Wasiu Bello planned the attack and called on the Police Commissioner to arrest, investigate and prosecute him and his accomplice, Umar “for act of thuggery, threat to life and malicious damage” among others.
Alexander lamented that the property company had purchased the disputed landed property in six villages of Falokun, Omusokun, Abipagun, Sorin, Penpen and Abule Oru and ratified all the necessary title documents, including the Deed of Sale and Deeds Of Agreement between year 2003 and 2005 but was shock that the suspects could lead some people to attack workers at site.
“When we visited the site in March thus year, we discovered that there were encroachment and that forced us to erect fences on the land. While we were trying to complete fencing, Wasiu Bello suddenly appeared with the hoodlums and started attacking our workers and pulling down our fences,” he stated.
Alexander further alleged that Wasiu’s biological father was among the family members who sold the land and signed the title documents for the company.
Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Abimbola Oyeyemi said he would make inquiry about the incident from the nearest police station.
